Deadly Intentions
by Ebonesse
Summary: An attempt on his life leaves Steve McGarrett critically injured in a hospital bed and Danny Williams finds only more questions than answers that threaten to tear their friendship apart as he attempts to solve the case. Steve Whump / Danny Angst, Danny Whump.
1. Chapter 1

"Danny…"

"Williams can't help you now, McGarrett." The voice laughed in his ear, "Williams is beyond helping anyone ever again. It's because of you that he is dead!"

"No! No! Not Danny!" The horrified whisper slipped from his lips as he shook his head in denial at the torturous words. The physical pain faded in comparison to the pain in his heart at the cruel announcement of Danny's death as the laughter echoed in his ears.

"We warned you what would happen if you tried to escape again but you didn't listen and Williams paid the price!" The voice taunted softly, "You killed him, McGarrett; his blood is on your hands. Now it is your time to die!"

"Danny, I'm sorry!" McGarrett whispered as his world exploded in a bright flash and an agonizing pain before everything faded into blackness.

xxxx.

The two boys ran through the cane field, hiding behind the tall stalks of cane before shooting at each other with toys guns. Squealing with delight, the younger boy dashed out of the field and dove into the ditch intent on ambushing his friend, but all thoughts of play were forgotten as he rolled down the steep embankment, landing against something soft at the bottom. He frowned as he lifted himself up from the ground a little and turned towards the object he had so unceremoniously rolled against. His eyes opened wide and a scream tore from his frightened lips as he found himself staring into the motionless bloodied face of a man. He screamed again, as he scrambled backwards up the slope, trying to put as much distance as he could between himself and the body below.

xxxx

Sighing in disgust, Danny Williams pulled the next piece of paper towards him, quickly perusing over the words before he signed his signature at the bottom of the page. He hated the paperwork and reports that were piled up in front of him. He knew that they were a necessary evil that came with the job, but it did not make the tedium of doing them any easier. The blonde-haired detective shook his head and groaned, silently acknowledging that when McGarrett returned in two days, the paperwork would probably double again with injury reports. McGarrett was a danger magnet, who never thought twice about rushing into any dangerous situation.

Danny jumped as the office door suddenly swung open and Chin rushed into the office. "Danny, we have a report of a shooting victim being found in a ditch beside a cane field near Waialua, HPD is requesting that we attend." Chin's voice lowered as Danny pushed the paperwork away and rose to his feet. "They have already identified the victim – it's Steve!"

"Steve? It can't be, Chin, Steve is on the Big Island." Danny stopped and turned to stare at his colleague in disbelief, "He is not due back until tomorrow!"

"Duke's at the scene, he made the ID." Chin told the detective as Danny quickly forced himself to work through the shock as he quickly rose from his chair and ran towards the door. "He's not sure how serious Steve is injured yet, but it sounds bad." Chin continued, following Danny from the Five 0 offices and down the internal staircase, "Duke said it's a head shot. He has ordered a helicopter and a doctor to the scene."

Reaching the cars in the parking lot, Chin lightly grasped Danny's arm. "Kono and I can take care of the scene up at Waialua, if you want to go to the hospital."

"Thanks, Chin." Danny nodded, still in a state of disbelief and shock. "I'll let you know about Steve's condition as soon as I am told anything. Keep me up to date with anything you find…"

"You know we will, Brah," Chin reassured his colleague. "Now go, the helicopter should be arriving at the hospital in a few minutes."

He watched as Danny nodded and climbed into his car, before he turned and jogged to his own, following Danny's Camaro out of the palace grounds a few moments later.


	2. Chapter 2

AN- Because chapter 1 was so short I have decided to post chapter 2 today as well. :) I hope you enjoy the story.

xxxxxx

Jumping across the ditch to join the HPD officers on the other side, Chin glanced down at the deep burgundy puddle that darkened the rich soil into which it was soaking, the impression of a body and footprints were clearly visible in the fine red dirt.

Duke waited silently as Chin took his first impression of the crime scene before he quietly spoke. "Two boys found Steve in the ditch when they were playing this morning. If they hadn't disobeyed their father about playing amongst the cane, then Steve may not have been found for days, this field wasn't scheduled for cutting for another week or so."

Chin glanced around at the isolated spot, silently agreeing with the HPD sergeant's assessment about the possibility that Steve would not have been found for days. In fact McGarrett would not have even been missed until tomorrow when he was scheduled to return from a week's vacation from the Big Island.

"… There were bruises over both his face and body."

Chin blinked as he realized that Duke was giving him a preliminary report. "I'm sorry, Duke, can you repeat what you just said."

The HPD Sergeant nodded, "I said that it looks like Steve was dumped here. There are no signs of violence here. He must have been grabbed and held somewhere else. There were bruises evident on his face and body. Looks like he was beaten before he was shot. We found a set of tire tracks near the edge of the ditch as well as a couple of shoe prints. I doubt it was a pro hit- McGarrett survived the head shot!"

"How is Steve?" Chin asked softly.

"Not good," Duke sighed as he watched the Five 0 officer take photos of the tire tracks and the body impression in the dirt. "He was alive when he left here. The doc said he was critical."

"Chin!"

Chin straightened up and turned as Kono hurried towards him and Duke moved away.

Nodding towards the two young boys and an older man who stood with them, watching the activity that surrounded them, the young rookie began her report. "Both boys said that the field was empty when they found Steve in the ditch. Neither remember hearing a car before finding McGarrett." Chin sighed at the information as Kono continued, "But Mr. Kalaka, the older boy's father and owner of the plantation, does recall seeing a car driving out of this area about eight this morning. He didn't think much about it, he said that tourists often manage to get themselves lost while exploring the area."

"Did he get a license plate number?" Chin asked interested in the information.

"Too far away and too much dust to be able to read the plate properly but he thinks it started with NJ and possibly had the number four on it but he couldn't be sure, but he did notice the car was a light blue Chevrolet Suburban. It had a large dent on the right-hand guard." Kono answered. "I'm just about to place an APB out on it."

Chin nodded. "After you do that, I want you to check with the airlines, find out when Steve returned to Oahu. If he was accompanied by anyone or if he returned alone." Chin paused a moment before he added, "Also contact Catherine, ask her if they know the current whereabouts of Wo Fat."

"Do you think Wo Fat is involved?" Kono frowned.

"Possibly." Chin answered slowly, "So let's check if he's around."

"Will do, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to the hospital to update Danny on what we have so far and to check on Steve's condition." Chin answered as he turned and jumped back across the ditch. "I'll be back at the palace as soon as I can." He told his cousin as they headed back to their cars.

xxxx.

Pacing the corridor, Danny Williams felt as if he was caught up in a nightmare, a nightmare that he desperately wanted to be woken from. Steve was supposed to be safe on the Big Island, not fighting for his life in an Emergency Room in Honolulu. Danny sighed in irritation at himself. He should have realized that something was seriously amiss when Steve had not contacted him yesterday morning. He should have known that McGarrett could not keep himself out of danger!

He swallowed down the hot bile that rose in the back of his throat as he remembered the sight of Steve on the gurney as his friend was wheeled into the Emergency apartment. Bloodied bandages covered most of Steve's head and the lower half of his friend's white face was hidden beneath an oxygen mask. He had attempted to follow the gurney into the examination room, but the doctor had firmly stopped him at the door, instructing him to wait outside.

The door of the examination room opened, and Danny spun around. He waited until the doctor approached, studying the somber expression on the doctor's face. The news was not good, he surmised. "Doc?"

"Commander McGarrett's condition is critical. He was shot in the head. The bullet didn't penetrate the skul,l but it did fracture the skull, and caused several small slivers of bone to penetrate into the brain, causing it to bleed. We are taking him up to surgery to try and remove the bone slivers to stop the bleeding."

"What…" Danny swallowed and drew in a deeper breath as he forced himself to ask the question that he was afraid to ask. "What are his chances?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not good I'm afraid, but we will do everything we can. Commander McGarrett has also been beaten severely. By the look of the bruises I would guess the beatings took place over the last day or so. It has caused some internal injuries that will be taken care of during his surgery."

"He was beaten over the last day or so?" Danny parroted in shock before he murmured to himself. "He must have been grabbed by whoever did this just after I spoke to him the other day."

The doctor patted the shocked man's shoulder, "I better get up to the O.R. I'll let you know about McGarrett's condition as soon as we finish the surgery." He said quietly before he turned and hurried away, leaving the detective staring after him.

xxxxx

Danny Williams had never felt time pass so slowly. The three-hour wait he had to endure felt like a lifetime. Chin had stopped by earlier to update him on the case. So far there were few other than a witness seeing a blue car leaving the scene and several shoe imprints. No one even knew how long Steve had in the field after he had been shot. He had decided to risk the wrath of the now very harassed nurses for another attempt for an update on Steve's surgery when he saw the surgeon heading towards him. He quickly changed his direction and met the surgeon, "Doc?"

"Commander McGarrett's condition is critical but stable. We were able to remove the blood clot and several small slivers of bone from within his skull. Also, we repaired a small tear in his liver."

"What are his chances?" Danny asked softly.

"He's young and fit and he handled the surgery a lot better than I expected, I think he has a good chance of recovery. As for brain damage…I'm afraid we won't know how seriously the brain has been damaged until after he regains consciousness."

Danny face paled at the thought of the possibility of brain damage and he had to clear the lump that formed in his throat before he could speak. "Can I see him?"

The surgeon nodded. "Only for a couple of minutes. He is still in recovery. I want to keep him there for observation for a little longer before we move him to ICU."

"Thanks Doc." Danny said as the surgeon turned and lead him to the recovery room.

xxxxx

Walking past several curtained cubicles, Danny followed Doc to the cubicle closest to the nurse's desk. He froze for a moment shocked at the sight of the man who lay on the gurney within. Steve was almost unrecognizable, his head enveloped with bandages, his face swollen and bruised, a ventilator tube emerged from his mouth and snaked its way to the machine beside the gurney, the heart monitor beeped quietly on a table on the other side. "Steve?" The soft whisper slipped from his lips as he stepped closer to the bed, his hand hovering over his friend's body, almost as if he was afraid to touch him.

"It's okay, you can touch him." The nurse watching him said softly. "We have him heavily sedated and on the ventilator as a precaution until the swelling in his brain subsides a little. Hopefully, tomorrow the swelling will have subsided enough that doctor can take him from the ventilator and allow him to wake."

Danny swallowed and nodded not trusting himself to speak as he carefully placed his hand on his friend's arm. He remained there for several minutes silently studying his partner's face before the nurse quietly told him it was time to leave. He nodded again as he leaned over McGarrett and promised that he would be back as soon as he could before he turned and hurried from the room.

xxxxx

Chin emerged from his cubicle at the sound of the main office door swooshing open, greeting his colleague as Danny entered the office, before he asked. "How's Steve?"

"The surgeon says he's critical but stable. They had to remove several small bone slivers from his brain. No one can tell me if there is any brain damage until he's awake." Danny sighed and ran his hand over his head before he asked, "Any word back from Catherine about Wo Fat's whereabouts?"

"Catherine says they believe that Wo Fat is currently in Japan." Chin answered as he lightly tapped the table keyboard and brought up several surveillance photos of Wo Fat that were stamped as being taken in Tokyo and date stamped less than twenty-four hours earlier. "Catherine says he has been there under their surveillance for the past three weeks and has made no calls to Hawaii."

"What about anyone we have arrested?" Danny asked, "Some of them must be holding grudges."

"Already checked, Danny," Chin replied, "Most are still in prison and HPD are checking the alibis of anyone who has been released but it's going to take time. We have made a few enemies in the last couple of years. I also have asked Joe White for a list of anyone who might have had a grudge against Steve with he was in active service with the SEALs. I am still waiting for him to get back to us."

"Where's Kono?" Danny frowned as he looked towards her empty office.

"Still down in the lab with Charlie, they are trying to get a full report finished tonight. Charlie has found some plant seeds on Steve's clothes that he hopes might help us pinpoint where Steve has been."

Danny nodded distractedly as he pulled out his cell phone. "I've been trying to contact the hotel Steve was staying at on the big island while I was waiting for word on Steve's condition, but I kept being interrupted." He explained as he hit some numbers he now knew off by heart as he explained. "I want to find out when Steve was last seen at the hotel and if his belongings are still there."

His attention was snapped back to the phone as his call was answered. He quickly introduced himself and asked about McGarrett's movements, waiting a moment before he frowned and glanced at Chin as he asked. "Are you sure Steve McGarrett never checked into the hotel? I know that he had reservations from the fifth till the twelfth."

Chin watched as Danny's frown was replaced with a look of total confusion as he listened to the answer before he thanked the clerk for his time and slowly hit the end call button. The detective stood motionless for several seconds staring ahead, the cell phone still held tightly in his hand phone, his bewilderment evident on his face. Chin leaned across and lightly touched Danny's arm to gain his attention, "Danny?"

His colleague jumped, startled, and slowly focused on his face. "Steve did not check into the hotel. He cancelled the reservation the day before he was to arrive."

"Maybe he changed his mind about staying there and decided to stay at another hotel." Chin suggested but Danny shook his head.

"When he rang, he told me he was at the hotel." Danny snapped, waving his hands around in frustration, his anger rising at Steve's blatant deceit, "Why the hell would he lie about where he was staying? Why suddenly did he decide to go all ninja on us?"

"I don't know Brah, but I'm sure Steve had a good reason." Chin tried to reassure the upset detective quietly. "Maybe he was involved in some sort of black ops with the SEALs that he couldn't tell us about."

"Maybe…" Danny reluctantly agreed before he ordered, "Chin, check the airlines. I want to find out if Steve even went to the Big Island and if he did when he returned to Honolulu."

"On it, Danny." Chin acknowledged the order as Danny turned and headed towards McGarrett's office.

Pushing open the glass door, Danny hesitated, trying to push down the hurt, betrayal and anger he was feeling because of Steve's obvious deceit before he walked around to McGarrett's chair and sat down heavily. Staring at the drawer where he knew Steve kept his most private and confidential letters and information, he knew that the answer to Steve's mysterious behavior might be hidden within. He drew a deep breath and pulled it open and began to search for something that might tell him what McGarrett was possibly up to. He quickly removed several loose sheets of paper, placing them on the desk for further perusal. A thin file with his name printed across the front with a USB stick taped to it that had been hidden beneath the papers caught his eye and frowning, he carefully lifted it free from its hiding spot. He frowned as he opened it and began to flick through the contents.

Danny's heart seemed to stop, as he stared at the pages, unable to believe what it contained. Steve had been running a background check on him. Every detail of his life was here, every single aspect had been thoroughly explored, his marriage and divorce from Rachel, his entire police career both while he was with Newark P.D and more recently H.P.D, even credit card receipts for meals that he and Steve had shared had been noted and investigated. Momentarily fingering the USB, he reluctantly pushed it into the USB port on Steve's computer and opened the file it contained. He felt the breath rush out of his lungs, as if someone had punched him in the guts, when the file images appeared on the screen in front of him. The reports and photos that appeared on the screen were the surveillance reports and pictures taken of him when he was off duty. The reports made by HPD dated back over a period of several weeks. Unconsciously closing the file in front of him, Danny stared unseeingly towards the door. What the Hell was going on? What had he done to warrant such scrutiny? Is this why McGarrett didn't trust him enough to tell him about the change in plans?


	3. Chapter 3

"McGarrett is still alive! He's in a critical condition in the ICU at the Tripler Army Medical Centre."

"Then take care of it! That's what we are paying you for!"

"I can't get near him. Williams has his room guarded tighter than Fort Knox."

"I didn't ask for excuses; I want you to take care of the problem. McGarrett has to be eliminated. I don't care how you do it but just do it!"

"What about Williams?"

"We'll take care of Williams, just make sure you take care of McGarrett!"

"Yes, Sir!" The loud click in his ear told him that the boss had just hung up on him. He sighed heavily as he slowly closed his cell phone and placed it back into his pocket. "If your boys had have done the job right in the first place then I wouldn't be have to be the one to clean up their mistakes!" He muttered angrily as he smoothed his shirt and turned back towards the ICU.

xxxx

Charlie rubbed his eyes as he looked at the screen in front of him. He shook his head in frustration as he turned to the Five 0 rookie who sitting close to where he was working. "The soil on McGarrett's clothes is consistent with the red soil found around Waialua. Whoever did this was meticulous, Kono. I have found no material fibers at all on any of McGarrett's clothing and the only hair strands I have found belong to him."

Kono sighed, "What about the tire tracks and shoe prints?"

"The shoes are runners, size 11 B, I'm running a check on the sole pattern to see if I can find what brand." Charlie told her as he brought up a photo of the shoe print found at the scene in a new window on the computer screen before he added another window that showed a digital photo of the tire tracks that were also found as he continued, "The tire tracks are interesting. The tire has a strange wear pattern that will make it easy to identify. I have narrowed down the tread pattern to a Firestone tire. I'm running a search for the exact model of tire, tell Danny that I should have the model number in the morning."

"Thanks Charlie!" Kono smiled as she rose to leave.

"Tell Danny I will have a full report for him in the morning." Charlie called out after Kono as she left the room.

xxxxxxx

"Danny, the airline just …" Danny jumped, startled as Chin entered the office. Chin hesitated a moment, studying his friend, before he quietly asked, "Everything okay, Danny?"

"I'm not sure." Danny admitted as he passed the file to Chin and nodded towards the surveillance photos on the screen. "I found this in Steve's drawer."

After a quick peruse of the contents, Chin glanced at Danny in confusion. "It's a background check and surveillance on you. Why would Steve…?"

Pushing himself up and out of the chair, Danny began to pace, "I wish I knew Chin. I was hoping Steve might have spoken to you about why he was doing it."

"He never mentioned it to me, Brah, maybe he had you lined up for some top-secret assignment that needed full security clearance." Chin suggested.

"Another one of his ninja SEAL top secret field trips?" Danny replied sarcastically as he turned back to Chin. The anger and confusion he felt bubbling inside was evident in his voice. He took a deep breath and tried to push away the hurt of Steve's actions as he added more softly, "I don't think so Chin, by the reports and the photos, Steve has had me watched for the last four weeks."

"Danny when Steve regains consciousness, I'm sure he will explain why." Chin tried to reassure his friend.

"I don't know what Steve was up to, but I have the feeling that whatever was going on is tied to the attempt on his life." Danny sighed as they heard the office door swoosh open and left Steve's office to join Kono at the computer table, "Okay, so what have we got so far?"

"Airlines confirmed that Steve cancelled his booking to Big Island, but he did rebook and traveled to Maui instead. He caught the six am flight on the fifth and returned on the one pm flight on the seventh." Chin told Danny and Kono as he brought up Steve's flight booking up onto the computer screen. "Also, I checked Steve's phone records. He made only one call to Maui P.D. the night before he left to go to Maui. There were no other calls incoming or outgoing made on his cell phone."

"In the morning, find out who he spoke to when he called Maui P.D. and what the call was about." Danny instructed as he turned to Chin. "Also, what motel he stayed at and also try and find out what he did and who he spoke to while he was there. We also need to trace his steps after he arrived back on Oahu. I want every moment of the time he was away accounted for."

"Will do, Danny." Chin replied as Danny looked across at Kono.

"What have you got, Kono?"

"Charlie has managed to discover the shoe print at the scene came from a pair of runners, size 11.B. He is checking the tread print now, trying to find out the brand and possibly the batch number."

"Size 11 B runners, our shooter's a big boy." Chin frowned.

Kono nodded as she continued, "The tire tracks found at the scene indicated that the tread has unusual wear. Charlie believes if we can find the car, he will be able to positively match the tire. He says the tire is a Firestone, and he should be able to give us the model number in the morning."

"Good work, Kono, as soon as Charlie can tell us the tire model, I want you to get with HPD. I want you to check out the tire and mechanic stations and get names of anyone that has purchased the model in the last twelve months." Danny told her as he glanced down at his watch, surprised to find it was far later than he expected.

"On it, Danny."

"Okay, how about we call it a night." He suggested as he stretched. "We'll meet back here at seven am. Go home and get some sleep, there's nothing more that we can do tonight."

Both cousins nodded as they followed him from the office.

"Do you want to come for a quick drink, Danny? Might help you to unwind." Chin asked as they walked through the office door.

"I think I might drop by the hospital and sit with Steve for a while just in case he wakes." Danny answered softly. "I have some reading I want to do on the case to keep me entertained while I'm with him." Danny gave a weak smile as Chin glanced in surprise at the slim folder in Danny still held in his hand.

"Try and at least get some sleep tonight, Danny." Chin gently admonished his colleague as they headed down the stairs and out of the palace.

"I will." Danny answered as he walked down the external stairs and crossed to his car.

xxxxxx

Watching the three Five 0 officers finally emerge from the palace, the large Hawaiian man slid lower in his car seat, his eyes never leaving the blonde-haired cop. He waited patiently as all three split up and climbed into separate cars, each pulling away moments later. Starting his engine, he slowly drove from the protection of the shadow of the trees as he began to trail the red taillights of Williams' Camaro.

xxxxxxx

The nighttime aura of the ICU was almost surreal; the nurses' desk was brightly lit as if in a deliberate contrast to the soft illumination of the corridor and individual rooms where patients battled for their lives. His own breathing and footsteps sounded unnaturally loud in his ears compared to the soft swoosh and beeps and whispers that were barely audible as he quietly approached Steve's room. Nodding silently to the two HPD officers guarding the door, Danny quietly entered the small room. He hesitated a moment as he stared at the motionless figure in the bed. Even in the soft light of the small overhead light above the bed, the dark bruising that covered Steve's swollen face stood out against the pale skin and the white bandage that enveloped his head, his chest rose and fell with each swoosh of the ventilator and the heart monitor beeped quietly beside the bed.

Rubbing his hand nervously over his head, Danny slowly approached the bed and whispered a soft greeting to the unconscious man in the bed. Placing the thin folder, he held on the small rolling bedside table, he glanced around before pulling a hard-plastic chair closer to the bed. Settling into the chair, he reached between the metal bed rails and gently rested his hand on his friend's arm, silently studying McGarrett's face before he began to speak.

"I wish you could tell me what is going on. Why the Hell did you have me under surveillance, Steve?" Danny whispered softly to the unconscious man in the bed, "What did I do? If there was a problem, damn it, Steve, why didn't you at least tell me and give me the opportunity to explain. Why all the damn secrecy? Or don't you trust me anymore?" Danny halted, swallowing hard as he struggled to push back down the anger and hurt that was bubbling close to the surface. He shook his head and cleared his voice before he quietly continued with the one thought that was haunting him. "Was the investigation you were carrying out on me linked to you being hit? Am I the reason why you were shot?"

The fact that Steve had not trusted him enough to even tell him that something was going on hurt more than anything he had ever experienced before. He bit his lip before he spoke again. "Please Steve, I need you to wake up and tell me what is going on. I need to know what the Hell you got yourself into and why you didn't want me as your back-up? Damn it, Steve, what was going on?"

Pushing himself angrily out of the chair, Danny walked across to the window and turned his back to McGarrett. "You didn't even give me the chance to watch your back! And I haven't got a clue of what I have done!" He whispered angrily as he rubbed a hand over his hair and stared out at the city lights.

He remained standing at the window for several minutes, ignoring the nurse as she entered and glanced at him before she fiddled with McGarrett's IVs and the machines attached to him. Only after she left the room did he turn and return to the chair, sitting down beside his friend again. "What's going on, Steve?" He asked quietly.

He sighed at the silence, studying Steve's face before he picked up the thin file from the table and began to read, a frown slowly forming on the expressive face as he studied and restudied each page, occasionally glancing at his friend before returning his attention back to the file. "This doesn't make sense!" He muttered in frustration, rereading several pages over again before he glanced back at the motionless figure in the bed. "This just doesn't make any sense at all!"

xxxxx

The first rays of the morning sun were beginning to creep through the window when Danny glanced at his watch and sighed. "I have to go, Buddy. It's almost six and I need to go home, shower and change before going back to the Palace. I promise that I will be back later and update you with anything new." Giving his friend's arm a light squeeze, he promised, "I'll be back as soon as I can."


	4. Chapter 4

"Williams spent the night at the hospital with McGarrett. He arrived about midnight and stayed till almost six. He didn't leave the room once." He glanced around nervously before he lowered his voice and whispered. "I couldn't get near McGarrett, but I will. He's still in a coma at the moment and the doctors have him on a ventilator. Getting rid of him will be easy once I can get into the room. A quick flick of the switch and it will be over. McGarrett will be pau!"

"Well stop talking about it and do it. McGarrett's a risk to the whole operation. If he regains consciousness and opens his mouth…"

"I know! I know!" He whispered, "I'm more worried about Williams. He's more a danger to us than McGarrett is. ".

"I told you, we will take care of Williams – you take care of McGarrett!" The Boss hissed in his ear. "We can't take the risk of that cop waking up and talking! I want him taken care of!"

"McGarrett's as good as dead, just take care of Williams. That cop worries me. If he starts putting the pieces together…"

"Leave Williams to us!" The boss growled angrily. "Just do what you are told!"

He jumped as the phone disconnected loudly in his ear and slowly hung up the phone in his hand as he nervously smoothed his shirt. "Williams is more a danger than McGarrett ever was."

xxxxxxx

"If I hear one more mechanic tell me that the fan belt on my car needs tightening or my brakes need checking, I think I will pull out my gun and shoot them! I know I could get off with justifiable homicide or even an insanity rap." Kono groaned as she joined Danny and Chin at the computer table.

"But did you have any luck with the tires?" Chin grinned at his cousin.

"Charlie narrowed it down to Firestone Wilderness LE tires. Do you how many of those tires have been sold on the island in the last year? Over a thousand tires," Kono sighed. "I'm running a check through the list now to see if any interesting names come up."

"Stay on top of it, Kono." Danny instructed tiredly as he picked up the mug of coffee that sat in the table in front of him and took a long sip, grateful for the caffeine boost it was giving him. He lowered the mug and focused his attention on Chin. "Any luck tracking down which hotel Steve stayed at on Maui?"

"He stayed two nights at Maui Beach hotel at Kahului. He booked in at 7.30 am on the fifth and booked out at 11 am on the seventh. Steve made two phone calls from the hotel room while he was there, making two phone calls while he was there. One was to Ben Kubota, the other call was to a local number." Chin told his two colleagues as he tapped several keys on the table keyboard and brought up an image of a balding middle-aged man on the screen. "The call was to Sam Clark, a private investigator based on Maui. Fifty-four years old, born in California and graduated from high school in 1979 when he suddenly disappeared until he came to the islands about three years ago and settled on Maui."

"Social security? IRS?" Danny asked confused.

"Nothing. It's like he ceased to exist for thirty-three years. No indication he left the country but nothing to suggest that he remained in the country either. Nothing on him at all until he set himself up as a Private Investigator on Maui. By the look of the taxes he filed, he didn't have much of a private investigation business. He was just scraping through to make a living."

"Maybe Ben can tell us more about why Steve went to Maui. I might take a trip to Maui and have a talk to Ben myself." Danny said before he turned to his colleague, "Chin, keep digging into Sam Clarke's background. He simply could not have disappeared and then reappeared years later without anyone noticing. Find out where he was and what he was doing during those missing years. I have a feeling whatever Steve was involved with; he knew about.

Kono, keep with HPD and check out the buyers of the tires. We know that the car involved was a light blue Chevrolet Suburban so that should help to scale down the search." Danny hesitated a moment before he added, "Also Kono, can you do a quiet check with HPD, keep it casual and low key but I want to know who Steve approached for the surveillance on me and what reason he might have given. I should be back from Maui by this evening. If you need to contact me, I will be liaising with Ben Kubota."

Chin and Kono nodded their acceptance of orders as Danny glanced at his watch before looking back up at them. "If there's any change in Steve's condition…"

"We will let you know." Chin finished his sentence.

xxxxxxx

Chief Ben Kubota smiled as Five 0 detective walked through the airline terminal towards him. He had worked with Danny Williams on several occasions since Danny had joined HPD and then the Five 0 task force. He greeted the detective warmly before he led him out to the police car, waiting until they were both settled within the vehicle and headed back to the small police station before he asked any questions. "I heard about what happened to McGarrett, Danny, how is he?"

Danny glanced out of the window as he quietly answered, "Critical."

Kubota shook his head, "I only spoke to him the other day when he was here. I was shocked when I heard the news."

"Ben, that's the reason why I am here. Steve never told us about his change of plans. In fact, he had us believing that he was holidaying on the Big Island. I was hoping that you could tell me why he was here."

Quickly taking his eyes from the road and glancing at unusually silent and still man beside him, Ben asked. "You didn't know McGarrett was here?"

Danny sighed and shook his head.

"He came into the office on Tuesday, Danny. He wanted to know what we knew about a local P.I. by the name of Sam Clarke. I told him that Sam was a local man. Fancied himself as a top private investigator but in reality, Sam is just scraping through. His main clients are housewives who want him to follow cheating husbands and debt collectors trying to find people."

"Did Steve tell you why he wanted to talk to this guy?" Danny asked as Ben parked the car.

Ben shook his head as they both climbed out and began to walk towards the Maui police department. "Sorry Danny, he didn't say. He wanted an address on Sam so that he could talk to him. I gave him Sam's home address and phone number. I also offered him an officer to accompany him, but he insisted on going alone."

Danny nodded, not surprised that Steve had refused any assistance, instead deciding to go Super SEAL and meeting with this P.I by himself, "Can I have Clark's address?"

The police chief nodded, "Sam works from out of his cabin." Glancing at his watch, Ben continued, "He should be at home. Do you want me to come with you or do you want to interview him alone as well?"

"Might be good to have some company on the drive over to Clark's house." Danny answered quietly.

xxxxxxx

The small cabin was set back in the trees, the dirt road winding to it was narrow and rough, a heavy shower made the road slippery but the Maui police Chief handled the car expertly on the treacherous road, gliding to a stop near the front door of the cabin. Both men climbed out of the vehicle and quickly jogged through the mud to the shelter of the small wooden lanai, knocking on the door and announcing their presence.

There was no response from anyone who may have been in the cabin and Danny reached for the doorknob and found the door unlocked. Carefully opening it, the two officers entered the cabin, both stopping in their tracks as they spotted the bloodied body lying on the floor in the middle of the small living room.

"Sam Clark!" Ben made the identification immediately.

It was obvious to both that the victim had been dead for several days; the bloodied hole in his back instantly told both men the probable cause of death.

Danny moved closer to visually examine the body as Ben turned and hurried outside. He knelt down beside the body, his heart beating wildly as he stared at the familiar looking plastic ties that trapped the man's hands behind his back. He carried the same type of ties in his own pocket.

"I gather that Five 0 wants jurisdiction on this one." Ben stated as he returned and joined the Five 0 detective near the body.

Danny nodded as he rose to his feet. "I have the feeling that whatever happened in this cabin is linked to what Steve's shooting on Oahu."

"I thought so." Kubota nodded, "I have already contacted the M.E. He should be there any minute. The lab boys are also one their way. I'll send any evidence we find straight to your forensic lab in Honolulu."

"Thanks." Danny answered as he turned and began to study the wall before spotting the small hole he had been looking for. Removing the small pocketknife from his pocket, he quickly walked over and began to prod the hole with the blade, slowly and carefully prying the bullet hidden within out before dropping the slug into an evidence bag.

Ben walked closer and looked over his shoulder checking out the caliber of the bullet. "9mm?"

Danny lifted the bag and stared at its contents for a moment before nodding unhappily.

"McGarrett's?"

Danny shrugged and turned towards the door as he watched the M.E enter, followed closely by the Maui CSI team.

Walking across to where the M.E was now knelt beside the body, Danny knelt down beside him and asked. "Well Doc? How long?"

"I would place the time of death about three or four days ago, but I will be able to narrow it down to a more precise time after I do the autopsy." The coroner answered before he pointed to the small bloody but ragged hole in the back of the body's shirt. "By the size of the entry wound I would hazard a guess that he was shot at close range. Death would have been instantaneous."

"How close?" Danny asked.

"Almost point-blank range. See the powder burns on the shirt." The older man pointed out the dark burn like pattern that surrounded the bullet hole before he glanced up at the hovering police photographer, asking, "Is it alright to turn the body now?" At the man's nod, the coroner reached across and gently rolled the victim onto his back revealing a large bloodied exit wound as he looked back to Danny. "As I suspected by the amount of blood under and around our victim, the exit wound is large, another indication that the killer was standing close to him when the gun was fired."

Grimacing at the graphic explanation, Danny glanced across at the coroner. "So there is no chance that our victim might have been shot while trying to escape?" He asked, already aware of the answer but needing to ask it anyway.

The coroner shook his head. "Not a chance, unless our shooter has reflexes as fast as Superman." He answered before he nodded towards the corpse. "Need the body anymore or can I get the boys to load it up?"

Danny shook his head as both men rose to their feet. "He's all yours Doc. I'll need you to send the autopsy report to me at Five 0."

The older man cocked his head. "That mean Five 0's taking over the investigation?"

"That means that this is a Five 0 investigation." Danny snapped tiredly.

The M.E shrugged and turned away, nodding to his assistant to help load the body.

"Are you going to stay here for the investigation, Danny, or are you going to head back to Honolulu?" Kubota asked.

"I have to head back to Honolulu, Ben. I do want to take all of Clarke's investigation files with me and any other paperwork connected with his business. I have the feeling that Clarke was involved in more than just following cheating husbands around." Looking around the small room, Danny sighed and turned back to the police chief. "You knew Clarke, Ben, can you think of any enemies that he may have made?"

Ben smiled, "Other than some angry husbands who were caught cheating? I'm sorry Danny, even those are few and far between, but I will interview everyone that Clarke has had dealings with. The list is pretty small, Brah, as I told you before Sam Clarke was all talk and little action!"

"If you do happen to think of anyone…"

"I know, Danny. We will interview anyone who has any type of connection with Clarke." Ben reassured the detective as they headed out of the house towards the car. I will also check with the staff at the hotel McGarrett stayed at, see if the clerks remember him meeting with anyone or if they know where else he might have gone. If I find out anything, I will let you know."


	5. Chapter 5

"Kono…Kono."

The shout across the HPD parking lot startled the young Five 0 rookie and she turned towards the familiar voice, smiling patiently as Officer Tim Larkins hurried across the lot to catch up with her. Although he had never been anything but the perfect gentleman towards her, he always made her feel uncomfortable.

"I heard what happened to McGarrett. I just wanted to let you know that if you need any volunteers to work overtime and help with the investigation that I want to help." the young HPD officer offered.

"Thanks Tim, I'll let Danny and Chin know," Kono replied politely as she tried to step around him.

Lightly grabbing her arm, stopping her from leaving, Tim glanced around before he asked softly, "I hear that McGarrett is in a bad way, that true?"

"He's critical at the moment but McGarrett's a fighter." Kono answered.

"I hope he makes it. Any leads in the case?" Larkins asked as he walked with Kono to her car.

"A couple that we are following up on." Kono answered uncomfortably before she glanced down at her watch and looked back up at the slightly taller man. "Hey listen Tim, I need to go but I'll let Danny and Chin know you have put your hand up to do guard duty …"

"Mahalo, Kono. I really want to work on this case." Tim pleaded as Kono nodded and opened her car door, getting into the vehicle. "See you and remember, anytime you need me just call!' He reiterated loudly as Kono waved an acknowledgement before starting the car and driving away.

"I really have to work on this case!" Larkins muttered to himself as he turned and moved towards his patrol car.

xxxxx

Chin greeted his colleague as Danny walked through the office door, frowning in confusion as he accepted one of the two small boxes of files Danny carried. "I checked with the hospital, Danny, Steve's condition is still critical and he is still unconscious but he has shown some signs of improvement. The doctor removed him from the ventilator this morning and he is breathing on his own."

Danny smiled for the first time since Steve had been found, "Thank God!"

Placing the box of files onto the table, Chin asked. "What are these?"

"Clarkes' private eye files. Seems Clarke didn't trust computers. I have all his files here. Ben Kubota said he dealt with unhappy housewives and cheating husbands, but I thought maybe we could find something that might explain why Steve went to see him and why he was murdered."

Glancing at his friend, Chin asked, "You don't really believe that Steve did it, do you Danny?"

"No… maybe…" Danny sighed as pulled out one of the files. "Damn it, Chin, I just don't know at the moment what Steve would or wouldn't do. It's not like it's the first time he has gone all Super SEAL commando on us and gone off on his own without our back up."

"I'm sure whatever is going on, Steve had his reasons why he didn't want us involved." Chin tried to reassure his friend as he began to spread the files out onto the table in front of them before picking one up and perusing it.

"What are these?" Kono asked as she joined them at the table asked and looked at the files scattered across the table.

"Some of the cases that Clarke dealt with as he tried to play at being a private eye." Danny answered as he picked up one of the files. "I was hoping that maybe it could give us a motive to why he was killed." Danny waved the file he had in his hand in disgust, "But this guy was useless. I doubt any cheating husband would hold a grudge against him, he seemed to have messed up almost every case."

"What about the angry wives?" Kono asked.

"With Clarke's bungling, I'm sure the wife would be convinced that she never had anything to fear about in the first place!" Danny answered with a small grin before he grew serious and asked, "Did you manage to find out why Steve had HPD carrying out a surveillance on me?"

"I asked around HPD, everyone is saying the same thing Danny. Steve never asked anyone to carry out any surveillance in the last few weeks on you or anyone else. Nor has anyone else. As far as I can tell whoever carried out the surveillance did it without orders. I'm not sure how it may have come into Steve's possession but he did not ask for it through the usual channels or even on the quiet but someone could be covering for him." Danny nodded silently before Kono grimaced and looked towards chin as she added, "Before I left, Tim Larkins caught me in the parking lot."

"Larkins?" Chin smiled as he saw his cousin's obvious disdain for the HPD officer on her face. He knew of Kono's and other female officers' discomfort around the officer but none had been able to explain just what it was that made them so uncomfortable around him. "What did he want?"

"He wants to pull guard duty at the hospital." Kono answered.

"Any reason why he shouldn't?" Danny frowned as he looked at the cousins.

Kono shrugged. "No, not really," she answered truthfully.

"If he wants to pull guard duty, I can roster him on tomorrow." Chin replied.

"Any luck with the car or the tires?" Danny asked as he picked up another file.

"We have narrowed the list down to about fifty-eight blue Chevrolet Suburbans on the island which have had Firestone Wilderness LE tires fitted in the last twelve months. So far all the owners have airtight alibis for where they were yesterday morning when the car was seen leaving the plantation and none of the tire treads match. HPD are still checking the owners who couldn't be reached today." Chin replied as Danny's cell phone interrupted them.

Dropping the file, Danny pulled his phone from his pocket, Danny glanced at the caller ID and hit the accept button before he answered, "What have you got Charlie?" as he placed his phone down on the computer table and hit his phone's speaker for Chin and Kono to hear.

"Not good news, I'm afraid Danny." Charlie answered. "The slug you dug out of the wall at Clarke's place was a 9mm bullet fired from a SIG-Sauer. I ran the comparison to one of the slugs from Steve's SIG that we keep down here at the lab and it was a match. Also, I only managed to pick up two separate sets of fingerprints up at the scene. I got a match on both. They belong to the victim and Steve. The partial fingerprints I managed to pull off the plastic tie that bound the victim's hands were Steve's as well." The three stunned Five 0 officers heard Charlie sigh before he said quietly, "I'm sorry, Danny, I was hoping I made a mistake but I checked twice."

"Thanks Charlie." Danny answered quietly as he ended the call and looked across at Chin and Kono. "Well, Steve's gun is definitely the weapon that killed Clarke and so far Steve is our only suspect and all the evidence points to him."

Chin and Kono traded worried glances as Danny's cell phone rang again, Glancing at the caller ID, Danny frowned as he recognized the number for the Honolulu CIA office. Hitting the accept button, he turned and walked away as he answered it with a curt, "Williams."

_"Williams, my name is Anderson, C.I.A. I have been told that you and your team have been trying to run a background check on a Private Investigator named Sam Clarke. You are to cease any more enquiries."_

Danny frowned at the request before he answered. "I can't do that, Sir, his death is part of a Hawaii Five 0 investigation. Sam Clarke was murdered on Maui. We are investigating his death."

_"It's not a request, Williams, but an order. I can make it official if you want but you are not to carry out any more background checks on Sam Clarke. Is that clear, Detective?"_

"Yes, Sir." Danny answered as he heard the phone disconnect in his ear.

"Danny!" Something in Chin's tone warned Danny that he was about to hear more unpleasant news and he turned, sighing quietly. "We just found this in Clarke's files." Chin announced as he handed Danny a several sheets of paper.

"I think we have found who did the background check on me." Danny Williams breathed as he studied the slip of paper that not only contained the basic information required for a background check but extremely private details of his life. He shook his head stunned at the detail and accuracy of the private investigator's notes; almost every aspect of his life was noted for investigation. Even more disturbing for the detective was a brief note at the bottom of the page that seemed to be some type of reminder to the note's author to double check the detective's security clearance and what national security cases, if any, that he had been involved with. "No wonder the CIA doesn't want us investigating Clark, he's one of theirs!"

Chin frowned, "C.I.A.?"

Danny nodded, "They just called and demanded that we stop running any checks on him."

"But why would they be interested in you, Danny?" Kono asked.

"I don't know but I sure as Hell intend to find out. I have some questions that I want answered! I want to know just what is going on and just how much Steve knew! I want to know why I was being investigated! I'm tired of all the lies and the secrecy." Danny snapped angrily as he slapped the piece of paper onto his desk as he turned and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Chin asked as he followed Danny to the door.

Danny paused and turned to face his two colleagues. "Steve's not the only one who has contacts! I want a few answers about Sam Clarke and why I was possibly being investigated by the CIA." Danny growled.

"Catherine?" Chin asked.

Danny nodded, "If Steve was checking up on a CIA agent, she would be the one he would go to."

"Just be extra careful, Brah. Call me if you need any back up."

Danny nodded. "Thanks Chin. I should be back in about an hour."

Chin nodded as he watched Danny turn and hurried out of the office.


	6. Chapter 6

Chin looked up from the file he was reading as Duke Lukela entered the office. The HPD sergeant handed him a single sheet of paper that held the roster of the HPD officers who had been assigned to guard McGarrett's hospital room. "I have to admit Chin, I was surprised when you told me that Larkins volunteered for guard duty. I put him and his partner on this evening's roster. Larkins never volunteers for anything if he can help it."

"I think he was just trying to impress Kono." Chin grinned.

"He certainly seems to believe he has a way with the wahines. It's a shame the wahines don't quite feel the same way about him." Duke laughed before he grew serious. "I heard that Kono was asking around if Steve had asked anyone to carry out surveillance on Danny."

"We discovered after Steve was shot that someone done a full background check and has been carrying out surveillance on Danny over the last four weeks." Chin told the HPD sergeant. "We're not sure if Steve ordered the background check and surveillance and if so why, or someone else carried it out and sent it for Steve for some reason."

"I knew Steve was up to something, but I wasn't sure what, Chin." Duke admitted quietly, "He approached me the day before he left for his holidays and asked me some questions about Danny's background as an officer in HPD."

"What sort of questions?" Chin asked

"He wanted to know the type of cases Danny was involved in, who his partners were, if there were any problems with senior officers that he wasn't aware of either at HPD or in Jersey." Duke shifted uncomfortably on his feet before he continued in a lower voice. "He asked how well Danny got on with other officers while he was at HPD and how well he is getting on with them now that he is in Five 0."

"Did he tell you why he wanted to know, Duke?" Chin frowned.

"No." Duke shook his head as he remembered Steve's agitation. "He just asked that I kept his questions to myself. I wish I had have asked him what was going on."

"I doubt Steve would have told you." Chin told the older officer. "I think whatever was going on, Steve was trying to protect Danny."

Duke sighed, as he turned to leave, "If I hear anything at all on the coconut wireless, I'll let you know."

"Mahalo, Duke."

xxxxx

Catherine ordered a second cup of coffee as she watched the Camaro pull up to the curb outside the small diner where Danny had requested to meet. She smiled and thanked the waitress as she settled the cup onto the table and turned to watch as Danny pushed open the diner's door and entered.

Sliding into the seat on the other side of the small table where Catherine was waiting, Danny Williams ordered a coffee and waited a moment until the waitress had moved away before he spoke softly, "Thanks for meeting with me, Catherine."

Catherine studied the exhausted detective in front of her, resisting the urge to comment on the Danny's obviously fatigued state, "Has something happened to Steve? The doctors told me he was stable when I went to see him at the hospital this morning."

"Steve's stable," Danny rushed to reassure Catherine. He fell silent for a moment while the waitress placed a cup of coffee in front of him and walked away before he continued. "But I need some information, information that I am hoping you can get for me."

"Of course, Danny, anything to help. I gather whatever you need has something to do with Steve's shooting?" Catherine asked quietly. After receiving a silent nod in confirmation from the Five 0 detective sitting across from her, she asked, "What do you need me to help with?"

"I'm not sure just what is going on but what I am sure of is whatever Steve was doing, it was somehow linked to the CIA." At Catherine's questioning stare, Danny hurried to explain. "Steve lied to us – me- about where he was going on holidays. He was supposed to be on the Big Island, I didn't even know he was back in Oahu until after he was hit! It was then that I found out just how much Steve had kept from me about what he was up to." Danny paused a moment and looked away, drawing a deep breath to settle himself, unwilling to show the hurt caused by Steve's secrecy, before he continued. "While I was trying to find out why Steve had changed his plans and hadn't told me, I found a file and a USB that contained an in-depth background check and surveillance photos on me hidden in his office drawer."

"He was running a background check on you? Why?" Catherine frowned as she leaned closer.

Danny shrugged. "I don't know if Steve authorized it or not, but what I do know is we tracked Steve's movements back to Maui where he appears to have arranged to have met up with a private eye named Clarke. The same PI who we have since discovered ran the actual background check and I suspect had me under surveillance."

"Private Eye named Clarke? Not Sam Clarke?" Catherine's eyes grew wide, before they narrowed in concern as Danny nodded.

"Yeah, do you know him?" Danny asked leaning forward. "I tried to run a background check on him but seemed to hit brick walls."

"Not surprising." Catherine told Danny softly as she glanced around to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. Satisfied that both the waitress and the cook were paying them no attention, Catherine turned back to Danny. "Listen Danny, if Clarke was running some sort of background check on you, then you are in danger! Clarke is CIA."

"That's why the CIA have told me to stop me checking his background." Danny breathed.

"They warned you to stop?"

"Agent Anderson. He called me today and ordered us to stop running any background checks on Clarke."

Catherine laughed quietly, "Anderson would have had a heart attack at the thought of explaining why you are checking the background of one of their top agents."

"He was one of their top agents?" Danny asked surprised.

"Was?" Catherine frowned.

"After Steve was shot, we traced Steve's last steps to Maui where we discovered Clarke's body – murdered- everything points to Steve as the murderer."

"So, you think Steve might be responsible for Clarke's death?"

"No, I don't, but it's going to be hard to prove he is innocent." Danny admitted honestly, "I think whatever the reason I was being investigated was also the reason why he was killed, and Steve was hit! I seem to be the motive behind whatever is going on, and the only ones who can tell me why are either dead or unconscious in the hospital. I doubt that anyone in the CIA is going to tell me much about Clarke or why he was investigating me or who authorized it. That's why I need your help."

Catherine nodded. "Sam Clarke was a maverick, Danny, it's rumored that he liked to run his own operations on the side using his position in the CIA to gain classified information - nothing has been proved. Let me see if I can find out what he was up to and whom he was working for. If Clarke was doing background checks and surveillance on you Danny, then someone has you marked! Clarke was the man the CIA sent in to clean up their messes. Be careful." Reaching across Catherine placed her hand on Danny's as she tried to reassure him. "I don't know what Steve was up to, Danny, but what ever it was, I am sure he didn't tell you because he thought by not doing so he was protecting you and Grace."

"Yeah maybe, or maybe he decided he doesn't trust me as his partner. Thanks Catherine." Danny said softly as he rose from his seat and dropped a few dollar bills onto the table before he turned and walked away.

Biting her bottom lip as Danny left, Catherine rose from her seat to follow him. She hesitated for a moment before she turned away from the door and headed out of the diner through the kitchen.

xxxxxx

"Want to grab him now?"

"No, not yet, there are too many people around. Let's just wait until he is alone and then we will take care of him."

"What about the woman he was just talking to?" The Hawaiian asked, glancing out of the car window towards the diner from which Williams had just emerged.

"Find out who she is and why Williams was meeting with her. After you find out what we need to know - you know what to do!" The older man instructed softly as the Hawaiian nodded and began to climb out of the car. Grabbing the larger man's arm to momentarily halt his exit, the older man growled, "And this time, make sure you clean up after yourself, got it?"

"Got it, Sir." The Hawaiian nodded as the older man released his arm and he stepped out of the car and watched as his boss pulled away. Turning back towards the diner, he quickly straightened his clothes before he entered the tiny establishment and looked around. He froze in surprise as he stared at the empty table where Williams and the woman had been sitting. It was empty and the woman was nowhere to be seen.

Turning he rushed behind the counter and through the kitchen, ignoring the startled shouts from the waitress and the cook as he pulled open the back door and ran out into the small alley behind the building, searching for some sign of Williams' companion. Cursing under his breath after discovering the alley was empty; he turned and walked back into the diner, drawing his gun as he menacingly approached the two people within, demanding they tell him where the woman had gone.

A few minutes later the peaceful calm of the nearly deserted street was shattered by a scream from the small diner before gunshots silenced the frightened cry.

Xxxxxxx

"I can't believe you managed to get us get us such an easy assignment for the afternoon." Kimo grinned at his partner. "Pulling guard duty on McGarrett."

Shrugging his shoulders, Tim smiled, "I told you partner, all it took was one little whisper in Kono's ear this morning when I saw her in the parking lot and the hint of a date and she was more than willing to recommend me to her cousin for cushy assignment of guard duty. It sure beats walking the beat in the rain. I just glanced out of the window and it is really coming down out there."

"Man, you certainly have a way with the wahines." Kimo grinned before he glanced toward the entrance door to the ICU and the coffee machine just beyond, "But I'm dying for a coffee!"

"Why don't you go to the machine and grab one, also grab one for me." His partner suggested. "It's not like no one is guarding the door. I think Kelly and Williams went for overkill by having two of us guarding McGarrett anyway."

Kimo hesitated, "Are you sure, Brah? You know if Chin or Danny comes, it will be both our heads, not just mine."

Tim grinned and gave his partner a push towards the door. "It's shaka, just go!"

Larkins waited until his partner disappeared through the doors leading out of the ward, before he quickly turned and opened the door he was guarding, slipping quietly into the room and closing the door securely behind him. Crossing the room to the side of the bed, the young HPD officer swore as he realized the ventilator that had assisted McGarrett to breathe had been removed and replaced by a nasal cannula.

"Damn!" He muttered in frustration as he ran his hand nervously over his face, staring down at the motionless man in the bed. "This was going to be easy on you, McGarrett but I guess we will have to do this the hard way." He murmured to the unconscious man as he quickly glanced around, a small smile tugging at his lips as he noticed the discarded pillow on the chair nearby.

He turned and quickly crossed to chair, picking up the pillow before turning it over in his hands, examining it as he returned to the side of the bed. "But either way, I guess it won't matter." He whispered as he held the pillow in one hand and reached down removing the nasal cannula with the other. "Cause the end result will be the same- you'll be dead, and you won't be able to tell anyone what you know - especially Williams!" He told Steve as he pressed the pillow down onto Steve's face.


	7. Chapter 7

"Tim?"

The voice behind him startled him and he quickly snatched the pillow away before turning towards the door as the door opened wider and his partner stepped into the room.

"Everything okay, Brah? What are you doing in here?" Kimo asked, frowning in confusion that his partner was in McGarrett's room and not guarding the door.

"I heard a noise in the room, so I thought I better check on McGarrett." Larkins explained as he turned back to the man in the bed and gently lifted his head, sliding the pillow beneath. "I guess he was a little restless or something. He knocked the pillow off the bed and dislodged his nasal tube. I'm just fixing him up, trying to make him a little more comfortable. I thought it was easier just to do it myself than call a nurse." He explained as he lowered McGarrett's head back down and reinserted the cannula. "Now let's get back outside in case Danny or Chin comes and decide we aren't doing our job."

Nodding in agreement, Kimo held the door open and waited for his partner. He hesitated a moment and glanced at McGarrett before he closed the door, wondering if he had imagined what he thought he had seen. Shaking his head as he decided that maybe he needed stronger coffee to keep his imagination in check.

Xxxxx

"Everything okay, Brah? What are you doing in here?"

"I heard a noise in the room, so I thought I better check on McGarrett. I guess he was a little restless or something. He knocked the pillow off the bed and dislodged his nasal tube. I'm just fixing him up, trying to make him a little more comfortable. I thought it was easier just to do it myself than call a nurse. Now let's get back outside before…."

Steve listened to the two disembodied voices that slowly faded into the darkness that held him safe in its cocoon. He felt himself being slowly pulled to the awareness that held so much grief and pain, which held a world without his closest friend. His breath caught in his throat as Danny's face flickered across his mind's eye only to be replaced with the echoes of the cruel taunt. "You killed him, McGarrett; his blood is on your hands."

"No!" The soft cry slipped from dry cracked lips as McGarrett's eyes opened wide and he stared at the whiteness above. He had known the danger that had begun to silently stalk his closest friend. He thought that he, alone, could protect him, he had tried to keep him safe, but he had failed and now Danny had paid the ultimate price. A single tear slid unnoticed down his cheek as he closed his eyes and escaped back into the protective blackness that help keep away the pain.

xxxxx

The Governor placed the pen he was using onto the desk and looked up expectantly as his office door opened. "How did it go, Walter?" He asked without preamble as the CIA agent entered the room.

"I doubt that my demands that Williams cease his investigation into Clarke's background are going to be followed." Anderson answered as he settled himself onto the seat in front of the Denning's desk. "In fact, I am hoping, it's going to make him more determined to investigate the case, especially as McGarrett has become the lead suspect in Clarkes' death."

The Governor nodded, "Are you sure Danny Williams has adequate protection in case things don't go as planned?"

"I have him under constant surveillance, Sir." Anderson quickly attempted to reassure the politician, "Handpicked agents are ready to move in to protect him immediately if things go wrong."

"I don't like it!" Denning growled, "I don't like it at all! I still believe that Williams should be warned of the danger he is in, especially after what happened to McGarrett."

"What happened to McGarrett was regrettable, Sir, neither he or I realized just how far up the chain this went." Anderson sighed, "At first we believed that the corruption was on a local level involving some HPD officers and some low-level local CIA agents but now we know it goes a lot higher than that. McGarrett believed that Williams had somehow become a threat to them. He may have seen or heard something at HPD or even socially that implicated the dirty officers without realizing it. McGarrett was concerned that the danger to Williams and his daughter increased if he was involved in the investigation and I agreed with him."

"Walter, I disagreed with both you and Steve about keeping the corruption investigation from Danny Williams and the rest of the Five 0 team." Denning angrily interrupted. "And now after what happened to McGarrett, I feel we are making a grave error in judgment in not informing Williams of the investigation and dangling him out to the sharks as unwitting bait."

"I don't like it either, Sir, but I believe to catch the big fish, we have no other option. We don't know just how high this chain of corruption reaches. This is the only way I can think off of drawing the sharks and the less Williams and Five 0 know, the less they can accidentally tip off anyone who might be involved."

The Governor shook his head in disapproval. "I still feel we are taking a big risk with Danny Williams' life. We both know that there is no way Danny Williams is going to stop trying to clear Steve's name."

"I am aware of that fact, Sir, and that is what I am counting on." Anderson announced softly. "That makes the bait even more appetizing to be grabbed."

xxxxxx

Entering the ICU, Danny glanced down at his watch, he knew that Chin and Kono were waiting for him back at the palace. He nodded a greeting to the nurse as he headed towards Steve's hospital room before pausing briefly to speak to the two HPD officers guarding the door before he entered the room. Silently he crossed the room and stood at the side of the bed, studying his partner. Even though the doctor had reassured them that Steve was showing signs of improvement, the only difference he could see was the ventilator had been removed. Steve still appeared as pale and motionless as he had when Danny had left him hours earlier.

With a soft greeting, Danny pulled the chair closer to the bed before he began to update Steve on the investigation, telling him about his trip to Maui and the discovery of Sam Clarke's body. He paused a moment, uncertain if Steve could even hear what he was saying, but he found just talking to McGarrett helped him sort the case out in his own head. He was unable to keep his frustration from his coloring his voice as he unconsciously lifted his hand and ran it over his hair as he told Steve about finding Steve's handcuffs around Clarke's wrist and the confirmation from Charlie Fong that the bullet had been fired from Steve's gun.

Too restless to remain seated, Danny rose from the chair and began to pace the small room as he continued to talk. "Clarke was an enigma, Steve, we were unable to find any background on him. We tried all the usual channels but we keep coming up empty handed so I asked Catherine to run a check on him on him." Danny paused, his anger, resentment and tiredness suddenly washing over him, as he turned back towards his motionless partner and walked back to the edge of the bed, grabbing the bed rail hard with his hands as he stared down at McGarrett. "Turns out he is CIA! One of their clean-up guys who helps clean up their messes. But I bet you already knew that, didn't you, Steve?" With an angry sigh, he released his grip and turned and walked back to the window. Leaning his head against the cold glass, he closed his eyes and tried to control the anger and the hurt that threatened to overwhelm him. It took him several minutes to calm himself enough to speak and he turned back towards McGarrett and asked, "Why did you go and see Clarke? Why didn't you tell us what you were up to?"

He turned back towards the window as and hit his fist lightly against the window as he asked the questions that he wasn't really sure he wanted the answers to. "Were you there to ask him about me? Is that the reason?" Swallowing hard, he whispered as he felt his throat tighten, "Or is the reason that you don't trust me enough to have your back?"

He was unsure how long he stood staring out of the window, but he was vaguely aware that the nurses had entered and left the room several times before he found the strength and the will to turn around and return to his friend's side. He wiped his face tiredly before he spoke again. "I'll be back later, Steve, Chin and Kono will be wondering where I am." Turning, he hurried out of the room and out of the ICU.

Stepping into the elevator, he nodded at man who also entered the elevator after him as he asked. "Ground floor?"

The man nodded silently as he watched Danny hit the appropriate button before he stepped to the back of the elevator and waited for the doors to slide close. Drawing the gun from his waistband, he pressed it against the Five 0 detective's spine as he ordered softly, "I've changed my mind, Detective, let's get off on the first floor."


	8. Chapter 8

Snatching up the phone on the first ring, the grey-haired Hawaiian listened to the caller silently. A small grin spread across the aged face as he thanked the caller and disconnected the call. Satisfied, he leaned back in the chair and laughed. Soon Williams would no longer be a danger to the operation. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. 'Tonight!' He promised himself. 'Tonight, they would know just what Williams had overheard and to whom he had told before getting rid of him by feeding him to the sharks.' Humming a soft tune, he reached for the phone, with Williams out of the way, it was time to ensure that McGarrett was also removed from the picture permanently as well and this time the cop had better do the job correctly.

Xxxxxx

Cursing under his breath as his cell phone rang just as he was attempting to pour himself a mug of coffee, Anderson placed the half-filled mug and the coffee pot down before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A quick glance of the ID calling told him it was the agent he had assigned to follow Williams. Hitting the accept button, he demanded, "What's happening?"

His knuckles turned white as he unconsciously gripped the phone tighter as he listened to his agent's terse report that, somehow, they had lost the surveillance on Williams. The detective had disappeared after leaving McGarrett's hospital room and a subsequent search of the hospital and its grounds had found no trace of the missing man.

Hitting the disconnect button, Anderson turned and placed his cell phone on the table in front of him before he leaned heavily against the table and ran a hand through his thinning hair, unable to believe that all of his covert security measures to protect Williams had failed miserably. The Five 0 detective had disappeared right under their noses. It was still uncertain if Williams' disappearance after visiting McGarrett in the hospital had been voluntary or whether the detective had been snatched. Either way the one important fact remained, whether the disappearance was voluntary or not, Danny Williams was in grave danger and he was responsible.

Taking a deep breath, he reached for his cell phone again and hit a now familiar number on the speed dial. His call was answered after the second ring and he swallowed hard before speaking, "Sir" He began nervously, aware that Denning was not going to be happy with his next words, "I'm afraid that we have a problem. The agent who was assigned to carry out the surveillance on Williams has somehow managed to lose his surveillance on Williams. He disappeared after he visited McGarrett. My agent said he was last seen getting onto the elevator after leaving the ICU, but he never made it to the hospital foyer." Running his hand over his head again, he unconsciously nodded as he listened to the demands of the Governor before he answered reluctantly. "Yes Sir, I am fully aware that Williams and Five 0 have been in contact with Lieutenant Rollins and she ran an in-depth check into Platts' recent movements. I sent orders through her Commander demanding that she cease." He sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he listened to Denning before he sighed and conceded, "You are right, Sir, we were wrong for keeping Williams and the task-force in the dark after Platt's murder and the attempt on McGarrett's life." His hand tightened in a controlled fist as he sighed and agreed with the man on the other end of the phone call. "Yes Sir, I agree that we have no other option now than to bring Kelly and Kalakaua in on the case."

Xxxxxx

Entering Chin's cubicle, Kono asked worriedly. "Any word from Danny yet?"

Looking up from the file he was reading, Chin shook his head. "Not yet."

"He's been gone for two hours," Kono said softly, "and he isn't answering his cell phone."

Smiling up at his cousin, Chins tried to reassure her, "Knowing Danny, he has probably decided to stop by the hospital and check on McGarrett and has probably turned off his phone while he is in the ICU."

Kono nodded, unconvinced, as Chin's phone began to ring and she watched him answer it.

"Chin, Danny asked me to find out all I could about a CIA operative named Sam Clarke." Catherine said softly into the phone as she quickly looked around to reassure herself that nobody was listening, before she continued. "I tried to call Danny to tell him what I have been able to find out but he is not answering his phone."

"Danny's not back yet," Chin replied as he turned on the phone's speaker so Kono could also hear and placed his phone down onto the center of his desk. "But I will pass the info onto Danny as soon as he gets back."

"As I already warned Danny, Clarke is rumored to be the CIA's clean-up guy. He cleans up any CIA messes and helps get rid of any damning evidence." Catherine's softly spoken report seemed to echo around Chin's small office cubicle. "From what I was able to find out before I was ordered to leave it alone, whatever Clarke was up to it wasn't a sanctioned CIA case, Chin. From what I have been able to discover, whatever he was up to, it was possibly connected to a suspected small group of rogue CIA agents have been running their own little side operation on the islands. Word is they are selling important Taliban leaders and war lords to the highest bidder."

"People smuggling! I still don't understand." Chin shook his head in confusion as he stared at his cell phone. "If they're smuggling people out of the islands and the CIA knew about it, then why wasn't Five 0 involved and how have they managed to do it right under everyone's noses?"

"The answer to that is they are kidnapping and smuggling war lords and Taliban leaders to Hawaii. War lords and Taliban leaders who had tentatively approached our operatives in Afghanistan and offered to share their knowledge of planned terrorist attacks and where other wanted Taliban leaders are currently hiding in exchange for a life of freedom for themselves and their families in America. Each disappeared within days or weeks of them asking for asylum. That's when we realized we had a problem. So we placed one of our top agents, Michael Platt, but you and Lieutenant Rollins know him better as Sam Clarke, and as the Lieutenant so eloquently said it, our clean-up guy, undercover on Maui to try and discover which agents were involved." Chin and Kono spun around in surprise as the CIA agent entered Chin's cubicle and flashed his credentials at the two cousins. "Anderson, CIA." Walking over to Chin's desk, he leaned over the cell phone as he said loudly, "I left orders with your commanding officer that you were to leave this alone, Lieutenant Rollins. I strongly suggest Lieutenant that you follow those orders before you find yourself brought up on charges! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Catherine answer hastily before the CIA agent disconnected the call.

He turned back towards Chin and Kono as he leaned back against the desk. "I see that Five 0 ignored my order not to investigate the Clarke case."

"This is a murder investigation and that gives Five 0 jurisdiction." Chin stated firmly.

"And I'm sure your task-force intends to bend all the rules and investigate anyway, especially now McGarrett is the main murder suspect." Anderson dismissed Chin's assertion with a wave of his hand as he glanced around the office before he looked back at the two cousins. "But the semantics of just who has jurisdiction over this case will have to wait til later. I believe the same group of agents who we believe made the attempt on McGarrett's life may have just kidnapped Detective Williams." Holding up his hand to silence any questions he knew the two Five 0 officers might have, Anderson continued. "You already know my top agent Platt by his undercover persona of Sam Clarke, an incompetent Private Investigator. It gave my agent the perfect cover to poke around and because of his role of being so incompetent, he would not be a threat to anyone involved. He was also the perfect choice for such an assignment, none of the agents we suspected had ever met him and we managed to keep the whole investigation on a need to know basis only. During the time he was undercover, Michael discovered that several of our agents have engaged the services of several law enforcement officers as well as several judges to help with obtaining these individuals, with the promise of making them rich."

"I don't understand, how does that involve Steve and Danny?" Chin frowned. "And why did it get Steve shot and now Danny kidnapped?"

"Michael believed that someone in HPD suspected Williams saw or heard something he shouldn't have, something that could potentially expose the whole sordid operation. He managed to intercept the background check and surveillance photos of Williams and more disturbingly photos taken last week of Williams' daughter. He passed on copies to myself and McGarrett."

"Photos of Grace?" Chin frowned. "And Steve knew of the threat? Why didn't he tell Danny? Are they safe?"

"Williams' daughter and ex-wife are safe. We have moved them both to a safe house where only my most trusted agents are protecting them." The CIA agent rushed to reassure angry Five 0 detective quickly before adding. "McGarrett spoke to Williams' wife and managed to convince her, not only for her daughter's, her husband's and her own safety but also to protect Williams, she was to tell Williams that the family were taking a short holiday on Maui. We didn't want to risk their safety, but we also did not want to jeopardize the investigation. I can assure you, McGarrett was not happy about keeping the threat to Williams' family from him but he also knew it was a necessary evil, we could not take the risk of tipping anyone who is involved off until we had the evidence we needed. He thought he could keep Williams safe."

"So, Steve deliberately lied when he told us that he was going to Big Island?" Kono asked.

"We didn't know McGarrett was going to the Big island, he never told us he was leaving the island." Anderson sighed, running his hand over his thinning hair, "I suspect that he was suspicious of Platt and decided to do some investigating on his own. Unfortunately, we believe Platt's cover was blown before he arrived and McGarrett probably interrupted Platt's murder."

"And what better way than to kill two birds with one stone than to set Steve up as the killer." Chin surmised.

"They probably kidnapped Steve in an attempt to find out what Danny might have told him." Kono added as her phone began to ring and she stepped out of the cubicle to answer the call.

"And now they are attempting to tie up loose ends by grabbing Williams to find out what he knows and who he might have told." Anderson sighed.

"If you knew the threat against Danny after Steve was shot, why didn't you warn us?" Chin demanded.

"As I have already told you, this investigation has been strictly need to know and until an hour ago after my own handpicked agents who I had assigned to covertly keep an eye on Williams, managed to lose him, both the Governor and myself decided that you did not need to know. We could not risk you accidentally tipping anyone in HPD or our agents off. It now seems that one of our rogue agents was doing the same thing." Anderson bristled, "We believe that when they saw Williams meeting with Lieutenant Rollins today, they become worried that Williams was too much of a threat to their operation. After Williams and Rollins left the diner where they had met, someone entered and killed the waitress and cook. I suspect they were probably killed after the killer gleaned any information about what they may have overheard being discussed between Williams and Rollins. HPD are under the impression that the shootings were the result of an armed robbery that went wrong."

"Even after that you still knowingly left Danny out as bait?" Chin hissed angrily.

"We had him under constant surveillance!" Anderson countered forcefully.

"Then, how did he disappear?" Chin demanded.

"I don't know." The CIA agent answered truthfully. "My agents last saw him get on an elevator after he left McGarrett's hospital room about an hour ago, but he never made it down to the foyer. An immediate search of the hospital was made but my agents were unable to locate him. At the moment, I have my most trusted agents trying to locate him."

"What about HPD?" Chin asked.

"Too risky. We are still uncertain of what HPD officers are involved, if we want to have any chance of finding Williams alive, we need to keep our investigations between us. I have my most trusted agents already searching for Williams."

"Chin, the hospital just called, the Boss has just regained consciousness." Kono interrupted as she hurried into the cubicle.

"Steve's awake?" Chin asked as he hurried towards the door.

"And the doctor said he's asking for us." Kono answered as she hurried to catch up with her cousin.

"Finally!" Anderson muttered as he followed Chin and Kono out of the office.

Xxxxxx

Slowly hanging up the phone, Tim nervously tugged at his bottom lip, wishing that he had never become involved in this mess. He could not stop the burning resentment from bubbling up inside. Live had been perfect, he was married to the prettiest girl on the islands, and within the next few days would have been a proud new dad. And with the extra little bit of money he was getting on the side from the CIA agent, life had been sweet until now. McGarrett and Williams had ruined everything! Everything he had worked so hard to achieve was now slipping like fine sand through his fingers.

Taking a deep shaky breath in an effort to prepare himself for the impossible job ahead, he turned and headed towards the door as he tried to think of a plausible excuse that would get him past his colleagues guarding the hospital door and into McGarrett's hospital room. Opening the door, he paused a moment and looked around, aware that he probably would not return. If he succeeded, then the chances were high that tonight he would be sitting in a prison cell, and if he failed, he had no doubt by sunset he would be fed, probably while still very alive and very conscious, to the sharks. A single tear of regret for what he was about to do to Mary and their unborn child trickled down his cheek as he whispered 'sorry and goodbye' towards their bedroom where she was resting before he finally turned and left the small apartment.

Xxxxx

AN- I just want to say a big thank you to Cubit2 and benswa for reviewing this story. THANK YOU. I really, really appreciate them.


	9. Chapter 9

"What did you expect? Of course, Five 0 and the CIA have realized Williams is missing already and that hospital is going to be swarming with them searching for him." The Hawaiian sighed in annoyance as he listened to more complaints and demands from the man on the other end of the phone before he growled, "No, don't you try and dictate to me what I should do. I'll get the information we need from Williams my way, and then I'll make sure he disappears permanently, just make sure that Larkins takes care of McGarrett and you tidy up the last of the loose ends on your side and that includes Anderson. He is getting far too close for my liking. And make sure it looks like Five 0 were involved with his sudden disappearance." His knuckles whitened around the cell phone he held to his ear as he listened to renewed complaints about his order before he interrupted and brusquely commanded, "I don't care how you implicate them, just do it!" Snapping the phone closed, he turned and walked towards the closed door to the room where Williams was being held as he muttered, "Okay Williams, time for you to tell me everything that I want to know!"

xxxx

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Tim reached up with a trembling hand and nervously smoothed back his hair as the elevator doors silently slid open. He forced a small smile as he stepped out and walked towards his two HPD colleagues who were now guarding McGarrett's ICU room. He forced a small smile when he reached them and was surprised with just how easily and calmly the lie, that Chin had left something in McGarrett's hospital room when he had visited earlier in the day and that Chin had asked him to retrieve it, had rolled off his tongue.

He leaned against the door after he closed it behind him as he stared at the man in the bed, aware there was no turning back now. He swallowed hard as he quickly crossed the room to the side of the bed as he quietly unclicked his holster and pulled out his gun. This time he would not miss, his aim would not be thrown off by the recoil of an unfamiliar gun. He licked his lips as he pressed the muzzle of his HPD issued weapon against the side of McGarrett's head. He jumped in surprise when McGarrett's eyes suddenly opened and he found himself looking into the confused eyes of his victim. "I'm sorry!" he whispered tearfully as his finger began to tighten on the trigger. "But I don't have a choice."

xxxx

Stepping out of the elevator, Chin, Kono and Anderson hurried down the hospital corridor to McGarrett's hospital room.

"Hey Chin, we weren't expecting to see you guys!" One of the guards frowned in confusion as they reached the room.

Trading a quick puzzled glance at his cousin and the CIA agent, Chin turned back to the HPD officer and asked, "Why?"

"I thought that since you asked Tim to collect the file that you accidentally left on the table in McGarrett's room…"

"Tim Larkins?" Chin frowned.

"Yeah," the officer answered, looking uncomfortably between the two Five 0 officers, "he said you asked him to pick up the file and take it to you at the Palace."

"Sounds like they're taking care of loose ends." Anderson said.

Chin nodded distractedly to the CIA's observation as he asked the officer softly, "Is he still in there?"

The young officer nodded, "He's just gone in."

Un-holstering his gun, Chin carefully placed his hand against the door, aware that Kono. Anderson and the two HPD guards had also drawn their own weapons. Pushing open the door, he went in low, followed quickly by Kono and Anderson, his gun trained on Larkins who holding a gun against Steve's head. "Drop your gun!" he ordered.

Swallowing hard, Tim shook his head as the gun he held against McGarrett's head trembled in his hand, "I can't." he answered tearfully.

"Yes, you can, Tim." Chin told the distraught officer. "It's not too late."

"You don't understand Chin, I don't have a choice," Tim whispered, closing his eyes as his grip on his weapon tightened.

"You do have a choice, Tim." Chin said softly, as he rose slowly to his feet and lowered his gun, before taking a step towards the distraught man. "You have a choice. Think of your wife and your baby, Brah. Mary would not want you to do this."

"I…I did this for them," Tim breathed, "It started off just as a way of making a little more money to help prepare for the baby by just looking the other way occasionally."

"And you got in too deep." Chin said softly as he took a few more cautious steps towards the upset man.

"I got in over my head and it's too late to change things. You see, I'm a walking dead man if I don't kill McGarrett." Larkins nodded and opened his eyes as he turned and look at Chin before he started to turn back towards Steve and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I just don't have a choice," he whispered as Steve's eyes went wide and the injured Navy SEAL weakly lifted up his hand in an attempt to knock the gun away.

The sound of a single gunshot reverberated around the room and Tim suddenly collapsed to the floor, as blood slowly began blossom out from a bullet hole in the middle of the officer's back. Stepping across to the fallen officer, Chin quickly kicked the gun out of the motionless man's reach before he knelt down and place his fingers against Tim's neck and felt for a pulse. He looked up at Kono and Anderson and shook his head.

"Damn it!" Anderson cursed, "I was hoping just to wing him but he moved just as I fired. He was our only link to Williams and my rogue agent!"

"Danny?"

The barely audible voice from the bed caught Kono, Chin and Anderson by surprise as the doorway began to fill with shocked medical staff, who were being held back by the two HPD officers.

"Welcome back, Boss." Kono grinned with relief as she reached the side of the bed.

"Hey Steve." Chin smiled, "How are you feeling?"

"Danny's alive?" Steve asked, breathlessly.

Kono nodded, "Danny's been working night and day after you were found, trying to find out what happened to you, Boss."

"But we think whoever grabbed you, has just grabbed Danny. He's missing, Steve." Chin told their injured boss reluctantly.

Stepping to the side of the other side of the bed, Anderson asked gently, "Steve you might be able to help us with where they are holding your partner, can you remember where you were held when you were brought back to Oahu?"

"An old beach hut," Steve murmured, fighting to keep his eyes open, "Somewhere near …Hale'iwa…Ali'i…"

"Hale'iwa Ali'I Park?" Anderson frowned, "Are you sure?"

Steve nodded slowly as his eyes drifted closed and his head rolled gently to the side.

"Kono, I want you stay with Steve." Chin ordered as the doctor stepped around him and quickly examined Steve before issuing orders that the patient be removed to another room.

"Where are you going? " Kono asked.

"Hale'iwa Ali'i Park, to find Danny. I think I know the beach huts that Steve is talking about." Chin answered as he and Anderson turned and hurried out of the room.

xxxx

Opening the door, the Hawaiian glanced with disdain at the gagged man tied to the chair in the middle of the room. It was obvious that the detective was far from happy, not that he could really blame him. He nodded to the man who was standing guard behind the chair to that Williams was tied to, noting the darkening bruise on the man's face, evidence that Williams must have put up a fight after being taken from the hospital. "Ah Detective Williams, " he smiled coldly as he walked across to the small table situated near where the cop was tied and began to casually examine small vials of drugs, alcohol swabs and syringes that had been placed there. He turned and watched with satisfaction as Danny warily looked at the items on the table before returning his attention back to him. "It's time we have a little chat." He nodded towards the drugs and the needles laying on the table as he continued. "It's a technique that I have used with great success to get the information that I want from people who don't want to talk to me. To put it simply, in terms that even a cop like you can understand, I inject the drug and you answer my questions." He smiled coldly as Williams began to struggle more violently. "Shall we proceed?" he asked as he picked up the syringe and one of the small glass vials and drew up the required dosage of the clear drug before he turned back towards Williams.

A silent nod from the Hawaiian, the man who stood behind Williams' chair stepped forward and roughly released Danny's arm, just managing to duck as Danny attempted to throw a punch before he grabbed Danny's arm again with bruising force and held it outstretched as his boss pressed the needle into it, searching for a vein.

Danny winced at the sharp sting as the needle pierced his skin. He felt a warm sensation flow up his arm as the Hawaiian slowly depress the plunger.

Removing the needle, the spy smiled as the Five-0 detective slowly stopped struggling and relaxed against the ropes that bound him to the chair and his eyes drifted closed. Placing the used needle on the small table, he turned his attention back to Danny, nodding at his man to remove the gag before he asked softly, "Williams, can you hear me?"

Danny nodded as he answered slowly, "I hear you."

"Open your eyes and look at me." The older man commanded coldly. He waited a moment as Danny slowly opened his eyes before he continued, "Now Detective I want you to think back… It was three weeks ago…"

"Three weeks ago…" Danny slowly paraphrased.

The older man impatiently prompted, "You're at HPD… in the evidence room."

"I'm in the evidence room," The blonde-haired detective nodded as he returned to the moment three weeks before, 'I'm… I'm looking through some evidence folders."

"Tell me what is happening!" The old spy ordered as he leaned against the table and crossed his arms.

"Someone else has come in." Danny answered softly.

"Do you know who, Williams? Tell me who it is?"

"It's Captain Olena and another man…" Danny frowned as he continued, "I don't think they realize that I am here."

"Can you see who the other man is?" The older man demanded. "Can you hear what they are saying?"

The ex-Jersey cop shook his head, "No, they are in the other isle, but I think they are discussing a case. Something about goods procured from Afghanistan and the shipment being held in the harbor. It must be connected to some undercover HPD case because they are discussing the payment and where the exchange is going to be. Olena keeps promising that the he has made arrangements for customs not to search the ship and that the exchange will go without a hitch. No one will interfere." Danny paused.

"Go on, Williams."

"Olena sounds nervous, more nervous than he usually is about an undercover operation." Danny frowned and murmured softly to himself, "Something just isn't right."

"What. Detective, what isn't right?"

Danny's frown deepened as he shrugged, "I don't know… just a gut feeling…Maybe I should talk to Steve…"

"What is happening now?" the Hawaiian pushed as the detective grew quiet.

"They are leaving the evidence room, I can see them at the door. I can see the other man." Danny stopped and slowly looked up at the spy.

"Go on," the spy demanded.

"It's you." Danny answered.

A small regretful smile tugged at the Hawaiians lips as he slowly reached for another syringe and the second small vial on the table. "Unfortunately for you, Detective, it was me and you overheard us discussing my very special shipment of Taliban leaders and Afghan warlords who were willing to tell what they know in exchange for asylum. I have several countries, including several members of the highest Taliban inner circle, who are bidding with each other to get their hands on them. My own little on-the-side retirement fund, you might say." He admitted quietly as he inserted the needle into the vial and began to draw up the clear fluid within, momentarily hesitating when he reached the required dosage before drawing up a little more than he knew was needed to do the job before withdrawing the needle. He sighed as he placed the vial back down on the table and nodded again at the man standing behind the chair to grab and straighten the sedated detective's arm.

He pressed the needle through the skin and into the vein in Danny's arm and slowly began to inject the potent drug as he spoke to again to his victim, "It's a great shame that you were at the wrong place at the wrong time… But I am not going to allow you or anyone else destroying my little retirement fund operation." Withdrawing the needle, he dropped it back onto the table as Danny groaned and slowly close his eyes as the drug began to take effect, as he continued to talk, "I wish I could promise you that you won't feel any pain, you will just drift away but unfortunately your death will not be that easy. You see the drug that I just gave you causes paralysis, unfortunately it does have the not so pleasant side effect of causing death by asphyxiation, not a very pleasant way to die I'm afraid, but far better than being eaten alive by sharks which was initially my first plan of getting rid of you."

The Hawaiian looked across at the man standing behind the chair. "Get rid of the body. Somewhere where it will never be found!" he ordered before he glanced back down at the unconscious man tied to the chair. "Aloha, Williams," he smiled before he turned and walked out of the room, confident his orders would be followed.


	10. Chapter 10

Chin leaned closer to the window as the police helicopter fly lower over the small cluster of old, abandoned, dilapidated beach huts that lined the beach just a few miles north of the Hale'iwa Ali'i Park. He turned and tapped the CIA agent on the shoulder before he pointed down at a blue sedan that was speeding away from one of the huts. Anderson nodded his head and picked up his M933 assault rifle as Chin quickly checked his own before ordering the pilot to land as close to the hut as the pilot safely could.

The helicopter skids had barely touched the ground as Chin opened the door and crouched low, quickly ran to the hut, followed closely by CIA agent. Pointing to the back of the hut in a silent order to the CIA agent to cover the back, Chin carefully approached the front door and waited a few minutes for Anderson to reach the back of the hut before he raised his foot and violently kicked the door open. Entering the hut, with his rifle ready for trouble, Chin quickly began to search the rooms. He turned with his gun at the ready as he heard a sound behind him and let out a soft breath of relief and lowered his gun as Anderson entered the room, pushing a handcuffed man in front of him.

"Caught him trying to escape out the back." Anderson explained as he pushed the man roughly towards Chin.

Hurrying across to their prisoner, Chin demanded. "Where's Williams?"

"Go to Hell!" the man answered.

Shoving the man hard against the wall, Chin growled again, "Where's Williams?"

The man glared balefully at the Five 0 lieutenant who was holding him against the wall but said nothing.

"Last chance." Chin warned him as he jammed his gun hard under the prisoner's chin, forcing the man's head painfully back, as his finger tightened on the trigger. "Now where is he?"

Sensing the danger from the cop who held the gun under his chin, the prisoner swallowed hard and tried to nod towards the closed door on the other side of the room as he choked out. "He's in there."

He coughed as Chin removed the gun and turned around and ran towards the closed door before he added cockily, "But you're too late, pig, if Williams isn't dead yet, he will be in a couple of minutes!"

"You better start praying that he's not!" Anderson warned the prisoner softly as he grabbed him by the arm and steered him after Chin and into the bedroom.

Entering the small, sparsely furnished room, Chin found Danny tied to a chair in the middle of the room, a small table near Danny had several used syringes and drug vials scattered on top. Hurrying across to where his colleague was slumped on the chair, Chin dropped to his knees as he pressed his fingers against Danny's neck, releasing a breath that he did not even realize he had been holding when he felt the steady albeit fast beat beneath his fingertips.

Following Chin into the room, Anderson roughly pushed his prisoner down onto the floor next to the wall, with dire threats of what would happen if the man even tried to move. Satisfied his prisoner had taken his threats seriously, the CIA agent hurried across to where Williams was bound. "How is he?" he asked as he untied the ropes that held the detective.

"He's alive." Chin answered distractedly as he gently lifted Danny's head and softly encouraged his friend, "Come on Danny, open your eyes for me, Brah."

His soft behest was rewarded when Danny slowly opened his eyes. Although Danny's eyes appeared glassy and confused, Chin could see the fear and pain in them as Danny struggled to draw a breath.

Glancing down at the detective's flushed and sweaty face and hearing the detective's audible, labored breathing, Anderson hurried across to the table and picked up the two empty vials and quickly checked the labels. "Pancuronium Bromide." he murmured, frowning, as he stared at one of the vials that he held in his hand before he glanced across at Danny whose lips were now tinged blue as he struggled to breathe. "Pancuronium Bromide." he repeated to himself. Suddenly his eyes suddenly grew wide and he dropped the vial as he turned to Chin. "He's been injected with Pancuronium Bromide. It's one of the drugs they use to when executing prisoners on death row. It causes paralysis and respiratory arrest. We need to get him to a hospital - Now!"

"An ambulance is on its way." The helicopter pilot announced softly from the doorway. '

Anderson glanced at Danny again before he shook his head, "No time to wait for it, by the time it gets here, it will be too late."

"Wahiawa Hospital is about 5 minutes away by helicopter." Chin said as he quickly picked Danny up off the chair.

"Go! I'll take care of things here!So, just GO, he's running out of time!" Anderson told Chin anxiously as Chin turned and headed towards the door with his precious cargo in his arms as the pilot following close behind.


	11. Chapter 11

Stepping into the Wahiawa Hospital's E.R, Walter Anderson looked around, quickly seeing the man he was looking for leaning against the wall next to one of the ER examination rooms. "Lieutenant," he called softly as he hurried towards him. "How is he?" he asked anxiously as he reached the Five 0 officer.

"He went into respiratory arrest in the helicopter. They're working on him now. " Chin answered quietly, swallowing hard as the memory of the moment in the helicopter when Danny had stopped breathing replayed vividly in his mind. He glanced worriedly towards the closed door of the examination room before looking back at the C.I.A. agent, "What about our suspect?"

"He's not talking, so I figured I would let him cool his heels at the Palace for a couple of hours before I try again." Anderson shrugged, "I also thought you would like to help me question him."

"Thanks." Chin nodded distractedly, turning back towards the examination room as the door opened and the doctor stepped out. Stepping around the CIA agent, Chin met the doctor and asked anxiously, "How is he?"

"Critical but stable." The doctor answered softly as Anderson joined them. "The Pancuronium Bromide caused total paralysis which sent him into full respiratory arrest. We have sedated him and placed him on a ventilator to take over his breathing while the drug is in his system and we have administered an antidote to counteract the effects of the Pancuronium Bromide. All we can do now is to continue to support his breathing and treat any complications that may arise until the drug works its way out of his system."

"How long will that take?" Anderson frowned.

"Pancuronium Bromide usually takes two to three hours for the drug to work out of a healthy person's system but because of the high dosage Detective Williams received, it could take several hours." The doctor replied before returning his attention back to Chin. "I have listed him as critical but stable at the moment and he will be monitored in the ICU while he is on the ventilator but once the drug wears off, I see no reason why he won't make a complete recovery."

"Thanks, Doc!" Chin grinned, his relief evident on his face.

"Detective Williams is an extremely lucky man. If you had not realized just how lethal an injection of Pancuronium Bromide could be and had not got him to the hospital as fast as you did, he would not be alive. He has a lot to thank you both for." The doctor added before glancing down at his watch and looking back up at the two men standing in front of him. "We will be moving Detective Williams up to the ICU soon where he will be monitored closely for the next several hours."

"Thank you, if there's any change in his condition…"

"I will contact you immediately," the doctor smiled. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to my patient."

"Thanks Doc." Anderson nodded as he watched the doctor turn and re-enter the examination room before he slapped Chin on the shoulder and grinned. "Williams is going to be fine and we have a suspect to interview!"


End file.
